The present invention relates to a tape splicer in a machine for continuously and automatically feeding tapes or tubes, which have patterns, colors, characters, figures or the like (hereinafter referred to as "patterns") printed repeatedly thereon, for use in packaging, for example, which makes it possible to splice old and new tapes with the tape patterns correctly positioned, while the tape feed is being continued, without stopping the tape feeding machine.
The tape or tube is wound cylindrically and loaded onto a reel. The tape is then rewound and fed from the reel, and the tape feed is generally finished within about ten minutes. Then the old tape is replaced with a new one and the tape feed is continued.
Replacement of the old has conventionally been effected by stopping the tape feeding machine, setting the leading end portion of the tape from the new reel to the tape feed path, and starting the operation of the tape feeding machine again. The time required for the replacing operation requires about 1/10 to 1/5 of the machine operation time, so that, for example in a machine operation time of 10 hours, the machine has to be stopped for one to two hours, resulting in lowered production.
The abovementioned problem would be completely eliminated if the splicing of old and new tapes could be accomplished during continuous tape feeding machine operation.
A heretofore known technique of this kind of automatic paper splicing in a rotary press of newspaper is known. In this case, however, since the tape to be fed is white and blank it has an infinitely wide allowance for the splicing positions of the old and new tapes, so that the tapes can be spliced at arbitrary positions in their longitudinal direction.
However, tapes such as in labels or tubes for packaging often bear trademarks, names of manufacturer, lists of ingredients or components, and the like (hereinafter referred to as "patterns") printed repeatedly on the tape surface with a predetermined pitch, and these tapes are to be later cut in predetermined gaps after they have been continuously and automatically fed through the tape feeding machine. Hence, it is an essential requirement that the splicing positions of the old and new tapes be such that the printed patterns be always positioned perfectly with one another not only in the direction of width of the tapes, but also in their longitudinal direction. If the tapes are spliced with incorrect positioning, they will be cut at positions other than the predetermined cutting position in a subsequent cutting stage, whereby the intermediate portion of the repeated printed displays will be cut in the same way as a clumsy television picture occurring when the vertical syncronization is out of order, and the tapes can then no longer be used as a product.
As means for splicing tapes having a pattern printed repeatedly thereon with a predetermined pitch, there is known a method which disposes zone patterns, at optional positions in the longitudinal direction of the tapes, which have eye marks instead of within the zones so that the pitch can be detected via the to marks realize an exact correspondence of both sheets in the longitudinal direction.
When these tapes are employed as packaging material also to be used as advertising media, however, the blank portions provided with the eye marks for pitch detection serve only as the splicing marks for the old and new tapes but are of no use at all as advertising media.